I Kings 8:3
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When all the elders of Israel had arrived, the priests took up the ark,
Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
The building and furniture of the temple were very glorious, but the dedication of it exceeds in glory as much as prayer and praise, the work of saints, exceed the casting of metal and the graving of stones, the work of the craftsman. The temple was designed for the keeping up of the correspondence between God and his people; and here we have an account of the solemnity of their first meeting there. I. The representatives of all Israel were called together (Kg1 8:1, Kg1 8:2), to keep a feast to the honour of God, for fourteen days (Kg1 8:65). II. The priests brought the ark into the most holy place, and fixed it there (Kg1 8:3-9). III. God took possession of it by a cloud (Kg1 8:10, Kg1 8:11). IV. Solomon, with thankful acknowledgments to God, informed the people touching the occasion of their meeting (Kg1 8:12-21). V. In a long prayer he recommended to God's gracious acceptance all the prayers that should be made in or towards this place (v. 22-53). VI. He dismissed the assembly with a blessing and an exhortation (Kg1 8:54-61). VII. He offered abundance of sacrifices, on which he and his people feasted, and so parted, with great satisfaction (Kg1 8:62-66). These were Israel's golden days, days of the Son of man in type.
Open source ↗8:3-4 The priests and Levites brought up the Ark of the Lord as prescribed in the law (Exod 25:14-15; Num 4:5-8; cp. 2 Sam 6:1-15).
Open source ↗Original language
The Hebrew and Greek words behind this passage, with Strong's numbers — from openscriptures (CC BY-SA).
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So Moses wrote down this law and gave it to the priests, the sons of Levi, who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and to all the elders of Israel.
And he said to the priests, “Take the ark of the covenant and go on ahead of the people.” So they carried the ark of the covenant and went ahead of them.
When Aaron and his sons have finished covering the holy objects and all their equipment, as soon as the camp is ready to move, the Kohathites shall come and do the carrying. But they must not touch the holy objects, or they will die. These are the transportation duties of the Kohathites regarding the Tent of Meeting.
and commanded the people: “When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God being carried by the Levitical priests, you are to set out from your positions and follow it.
Then David said, “No one but the Levites may carry the ark of God, because the LORD has chosen them to carry the ark of the LORD and to minister before Him forever.”
So Joshua son of Nun summoned the priests and said, “Take up the ark of the covenant and have seven priests carry seven rams’ horns in front of the ark of the LORD.”
Joshua also set up twelve stones in the middle of the Jordan, in the place where the priests who carried the ark of the covenant stood. And the stones are there to this day.
But he did not give any to the Kohathites, since they were to carry on their shoulders the holy objects for which they were responsible.